As I was cleaning my apartment this afternoon, I began reflecting on why I love cleaning so much. When I'm happy, I clean. Sad, I clean. Stressed, I clean. Cleaning is my form of relaxation. I started thinking about why I enjoy it. For me, it provides instant gratification. I am able to take something in disarray, and make it clean, neat, and put-together. (This may seem weird, but just stick with me.) When I'm stressed, oftentimes what I do is clean. In my mind and that moment, it is the one stresser that I can fix (and fix it fast!). I can change it into something successful. Isn't that what we all want?--something we can fix. And, it's even better if we can fix it quickly, right?!
If you've been around me for any length of time, you know that I like to see how I can fix something and make it better. In fact, according to the book STRENGTHS FINDER 2.0, my top strength is "Restorative." Here's a little of what that term means:
"You love to solve problems. Whereas some are dismayed when they encounter yet another breakdown, you can be energized by it. You enjoy the challenge of analyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and finding the solution. What is certain is that you enjoy bringing things back to life. You fixed it, resuscitated it, rekindled its vitality."
On Friday morning, JE and I were working on a project to meet a need at CentriKid Camps. We had dreamed an idea and were trying to make it happen. Like most dreams, we ran into a few snags. Through trial-and-error, we began celebrating small victories as our dream came to life. It was so exciting to solve problems and make the project into something that will help communication at camp.
I don't really know why me cleaning the house caused me to think so introspectively, but it did cause me to dust off my Strengths Finder book and remember the things that I am good at because I tend to only think about the stuff I need to fix. Hence, why I'm a Restorer:)
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